The Ballad of Time and Space
by BasiliskRules
Summary: "We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh? Because it was, you know. It was the best. The daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away. Did I ever tell you that I stole it? Well, I borrowed it; I was always going to take it back." - Every story ever told really happened. And some stories, like this one, are important. Would you like to hear it again?
1. Chapter 1

**It's been too long; have a poem.**

* * *

oOo

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 **I.**

.

He stole the box and now he runs

Away from friends and kin

To see the world, to see the stars

That was a little sin

With sentence bleak his future mars

And does so with a grin.

.

The fourth dimension his to roam,

The universe's call,

Beneath wide heaven's coloured dome

It sounds: "Come see them all,

The clouds, the moons that shine like chrome,

The worlds that rise or fall!"

.

And all he needs, a hand to hold

Her laughter in his ears

This young, young man who looks so old

And has no time for tears

The frightened one who acts so cold

And laughs when danger nears.

.

And then he learns to love as well

And grumbles all the way

With friends he'd never thought he'd need

While hiding with the lost

To fight for those who need him most

He'd come to save the day.

.

The child grows up, they do, you know

-That's only the first blow-

One day he will, he shall come back

He leaves, his oath he swears

With patient hearts his burden bears

("One day, one day" they'll crack).

.

And on he goes through time and space

Righting the wrongs he can

From Mexico, to Troy, to France

Or planets shunned by man

Sometimes he can't, but still he flies

And rarely has a plan.

.

They often ask –they always ask-

About the old blue box

How can it work, what is its task?

How it defies all clocks!

Beneath his mystery-woven mask,

He smirks and boredom mocks.

.

What is your name, what of your past?

What made you run away?

Where is your home, had you there friends?

Why won't you ever stay?

He'll shrug, he'll sigh, he'll even smile

But he will never say.

.

He's not a legend (yet), he'll claim,

But the numbers still grow fast:

The monsters beaten back, the unjust,

Cruel tyrants of the past

Vanquished; and many unhappy ones

Know happiness at last!

.

Through passing years they come and go,

They come and go (or die)

Companions, (friends), beloved brave souls

With bright and wondrous eye

Adventure calls, and he won't share

Rare dreams of an orange sky.

.

The planet Mondas spells his doom

The Tenth, and Time's slow knife,

He's learned by now: One cannot win

Without pain, loss and strife.

At last to well-earned rest he goes

And death brings forth new life.

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.

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 **Published this on my Deviantart a while ago. Inspired by and based on (when it comes to the form, the rhythm and the rhyme)** _ **The Ballad of Reading Gaol**_ **by Oscar Wilde, which is one of my favourite poems. It is an underappreciated masterpiece in my opinion; go read it right now if you haven't.**

 **One of the things I like the most about it is its musicality and style. (Stanzas of 6 lines, 8-6-8-6-8-6 syllables, and rhyming usually a-b-c-b-d-b for those who are interested). So, because I am slightly insane, I have decided to embark on an insane, epic quest: write a long narrative poem about ALL of _Doctor Who_ , basically tell the entire story, while mimicking the style of the Ballad and using this particular form.**

 **But this is 52 years we are talking about, people, and I'm a perfectionist. I can't do it. If you waited until I finished all of it, you'd probably get the damn thing around 2020. Therefore, I decided to divide it into cantos, one for each Doctor, and start (very gradually) uploading it in parts.**

 **Enjoy, and patience for the rest.**


	2. Chapter 2

**It's been so long.**

 **So the bad news is, big chunks of the poem were lost in the Great Computer Crash of 2016. Fuck that year in general.**

 **After all this time, after replacing so much lost stuff, I've decided to keep things within reason. As in, no, this is fanfiction, I'm not writing almost three cantos all over again. And since we're talking about fragments anyway, well, I'm not writing the rest either. The crash already set me back time-wise, but I've come to realise that such a poem would always have taken a ridiculous amount of time regardless; time that I'm not willing to spend any more. If nothing else, it's good for my OCD, to learn when to let go.**

 **Therefore, you may simply enjoy these salvaged fragments. Again, you have my apologies; I hope they're not totally worthless.**

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 **VIII.**

...

...

And War now falls upon the world

And with it brings a Hell;

For those who live and love a doom,

In darkness they'll now dwell.

Their screams will arise among the gloom

And Death shall ring the bell.

.

He will not fight; he runs and gives

His help, a healing breath.

They look in wonder as he grieves,

And leaves without a trace:

How one who suffered so much death

Still had so kind a face.

...

...

The War goes on, and now they fear

The lonely man who flies.

His race's crimes now mar the box

That drops out of the skies.

He can't go on, and he gives in,

And in despair he dies.

.

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 **X.**

...

...

Whatever gods reign up above,

He challenged and he lost.

Ensnared again by that which men

Both crave and fear the most,

Betrayed the deathless one, by Love

Thus paid her heavy cost.

...

...

Beware, O lonely Child of Time,

Her Laws are not thine own.

And Hubris makes a heinous crime

Where Pride uncheck'd hath grown.

With mortal hands you've made this climb

To claim so unjust a throne.

.

This path you should have never crossed,

This all too well you've known.

And Sin exacts a heavy cost

From men of flesh and bone;

And your two hearts, though drowned in frost,

Are flesh and blood alone!

.

Those wise and kind should fear him not

(And some would call them brave),

But Death by no one can be fought;

This fleeting life you gave,

For years of tears so dearly bought,

Through shame leads to the grave.

.

When humans wiser than thou seem,

You'll walk no more, but crawl:

From day to day, a silent scream,

The judgment to forestall.

You've risen high, as in a dream,

And all that's high shall fall.

.

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 **XI.**

...

...

And all he needs, a hand to hold,

Their laughter in his ears

This young, young man who is so old,

And hides away his tears,

The damaged one, who acts so bold

As now true death he nears.

...

...

For Fate has little care for those

That under heaven dwell,

It blasts the yew-tree, kills the rose,

Throws Paradise to Hell.

And struck too deep, the ancient soul

Like star in darkness fell.

.

The death he shunned, now he would seek

To drown deep pain and hate.

He fears no more the ghastly hand

That Life and Love can't sate.

And on a lonely cloud he sits

The foretold doom to wait.

.

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 **Thank you for reading!**

 **I have to add a grace note to the above bad news: If there is someone out there who was utterly in love with my poem and is now absolutely disconsolate at the rest being discontinued… I don't know, man. Dear sir or madam, I believe I have other stuff that is quite good –including poetry, which I'd be happy to recommend. If your hearts are for some reason completely set on this one… (shrug) Look, I don't like disappointing people. Contact me, give me your favourite Doctor from Two to Eleven and I'll try to write their Canto, okay? But no promises.**

 **Comments are tremendously appreciated and usually responded to.**


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